Chittagong Bureau :
Government will procure six ocean- going bulk cargo and container vessels from China for national shipping organization- Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) .
These vessels will be procured with the financial assistance of Govt of china , BSC head office in Chittagong sources said.
Theapproximate cost of these vessels is 185 million US dollars equivalent to BDT 1480 cr.BSC sources said the procurement of the vessels will be approved in next cabinet meeting scheduled to be held on Monday next.
Mentionable that BSC is the nationalized shipping sector of the country . Since its inception in 1972, BSC launched journey without any vessel, but in due course of time, BSC procured about 38 vessels.
The number of oceangoing cargo vessels stands at 28 in 1980 after declared scrapped of a number of vessels. Very recently a number of vessels declared inoperative in last yesr which will be sold out in phases.
At present 8 vessels could not sail in ocean voyage due to old aged due to restrictions imposed by the International Maritime Organisation. The commercial activities of BSC is now squizzed day by day and need to sustain the glory of BSC through procuring new cargo vessels for international voyages.
A reliable sources said Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation(BPC) imported more than 30 lakh tons finished and refined petro products including diesel, petrol, kerosene, different varieties of lubricants in a year from abroad.
Following the increase of fare in maritime routes by the international shipping companies , Bangladesh had to incur huge forex for carrying these petro products from abroad.
Conscious circles observed that if BSC is equipped with a fleet of oceangoing vessels through procurement of new vessels, govt will save huge forex inthis sector and at the same time the image of the country will be enhanced in maritime business.
Following the proposal of shipping ministry in September 2011 for procurement of 6 vessels, an agreement was signed with China National shipping company on June 16, 2012, a online news portal sources said.
